Farmers set Jan. 11 deadline to scrap industrial zone move

Kamareddy: The farmers’ joint action committee (JAC), which has been agitating for the past month against the draft master plan which includes irrigation land in a proposed industrial zone, issued an ultimatum to the Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS government, stating that their protests would intensify throughout the district unless the state government addressed all of their legitimate demands by January 11, including scrapping the master plan.

The farmers’ resolve follows the suicide of a farmer, Payyavula Ramulu, who was worried that the government would acquire his more than one acre land for the proposed industrial zone.

Following a series of dharnas and rasta rokos at the collector's office over the last four days, farmers from seven merged villages in Kamareddy municipality met on Sunday at Adloor Yellareddy village in Sadashivanagar mandal and announced an action plan.

As part of the action plan, the farmers have formed groups of five members each to submit a memorandum to all 49 Kamareddy municipal councillors on Monday. Following a break on January 10, farmers will hold a dharna at the Kamareddy municipal office January 11.

Farmers expressed their outrage over the statement of Kamareddy MLA Gampa Govardhan and district collector Jitesh V. Patil. With farmers up in arms over the proposed industrial zone, Goverdhan on Saturday blamed the consultant and town planners for redrawing the plan without his approval.

"We will wait until January 11 for the government's order cancelling the proposed industrial zone," the JAC said. The farmers said they would intensify their agitation throughout Kamareddy district if the government failed to do so. "We have lost faith in local officials and leaders, and the government should come clear on its policy decision about the master plan by January 11,” they added.

Former zilla parishad chairman and BJP leader K.P. Venkataramana Reddy slammed Govardhan, collector Jitesh Patil, and municipal commissioner Devender for making contradictory statements about the proposed master plan. The JAC leaders also stated that they will file a complaint with the human rights commission against the police personnel for resorting to lathi-charge.